Of Gods and Demons
by Syri Reed
Summary: In a land ravaged by war, a prince must find a way to live in a world filled with chaos before he himself is consumed by a terrible curse. Exiled from his homeland, he journeys west to find a way to lift his curse. Once there, he becomes caught in a battle between humanity and the gods of the forest. Princess Mononoke!AU
1. Chapter 1

Something was very wrong. The young prince of the Enishi could feel the presence of some unknown evil approaching the village. The wise woman, Kaede, had ordered all the villagers to return to their homes. Miroku noticed as he rode through the forest that the animals were acting strangely. As he came up the road leading to the village, he saw that even Kirara seemed a little restless. He jumped off her back onto a nearby wall for a greater vantage point as he looked around to see what was going on in the village.

"Come on, Kirara." He commanded as he ran along the stone structure.

The nekomata ran up a wooden step ladder beside the wall and quickly took her place at her master's side. Kirara lowered her head so Miroku could hoist himself onto her back. As they rode up the path, Miroku noticed his sister Kagome and her friends, Yuka and Eri, up ahead.

"Girls!"

"Miroku!" called Kagome in response.

"Something strange is going on. You must hurry. Lady Kaede has ordered everyone back to the village at once."

"We just came from Mushin."

"Did he see something?"

"Yes, in the forest. Something's wrong."

"The birds have all gone!" said Eri.

"And the animals, too!" piped Yuka.

"I'll go to the watch tower and check with Mushin. You three hurry home as quick as you can."

"Alright. Be careful!"

Miroku rode toward the watch tower and dismounted Kirara, leaving her at the base. As he climbed up the ladders to reach the top, he paused to peer into the forest beyond after feeling the ominous presence yet again. A slithering black mass was visible over the stone wall that separated the forest from the meadow in front of it.

"Something's there."

Miroku continued his climb and soon stood by Mushin's side. The old man was staring intently at the same spot the prince had observed.

"Mushin did you see it, too?"

"I did. That thing isn't human." Said Mushin.

"Lady Kaede is calling everyone back to the village."

Miroku looked down to see some villagers scrambling to get to shelter.

"Look there," Mushin said.

Miroku looked again at the space between the trees, retrieving an arrow from his quiver and drawing his bow. He aimed it at the shadows where the unknown creature was hidden.

A strange black substance bubbled and quivered between the stones in the wall, the surrounding trees and vegetation withered and died wherever it made contact. A grotesque creature with red eyes burst through the wall and crawled onto the open field, its limbs and body made of innumerable black worm-like appendages that wriggled as it moved.

"It's some kind of demon!" yelled Mushin.

"A demon?" asked Miroku.

It stopped in the middle of the meadow, the black mass leaping up into the air to reveal a giant boar. The animal threw back its head and roared. When the boar was once again covered in its writhing black shroud, it moved toward the watch tower. Kirara was directly in its path.

"Run, Kirara, run!" Miroku called to the nekomata.

Despite the command, Kirara did not move an inch. She stood visibly shaking with fear. Miroku fired his arrow at a beam that held up the watch tower, effectively startling his friend into action. As Kirara fled, the demon boar crashed into the tower and toppled it over. Miroku grabbed Mushin as they fell, jumping with him into the nearby trees.

"It's headed for the village!" said Miroku as he and Mushin caught their bearings, "I have to stop it."

Without another word, Miroku descended from the tree and ran to where the watch tower once stood.

"Wait, Prince Miroku!" Mushin pleaded, "Be careful! That thing is cursed! Don't let it touch you!"

"Here, Kirara!" called Miroku to his companion as he restrung his bow atop a ruined rock.

Once at her master's side, Miroku climbed on and together they rode down a steep rocky slope into the forest below. The two found the boar running through the trees, destroying everything in its path.

Miroku cut in front of it as it ran toward the village, pleading with the creature.

"Calm your fury, oh mighty lord! Whatever you are, god or demon! Please, leave us in peace!"

Meanwhile, Kagome and her friends were walking down the hill to the village when they saw the boar appear from the forest, stopping to observe the area. Training its burning eyes on the girls, it raced toward them at a surprising speed.

"A monster!" cried Eri in alarm.

"Come one!" shouted Kagome, beckoning the others to follow her.

Miroku cut off the boar again in an effort to stop the beast from causing harm, but it continued to charge forward.

"Go back!" he commanded, "Please, leave our village alone! I beg you, please! Stop!"

While the girls ran, Yuka tripped and fell to the ground. Eri stopped and tried to help her up.

"Get up!" yelled Kagome. Stopping to face the boar, Kagome drew her sword to defend her friends. The other girls watched in horror as the terrifying beast came toward them.

"Kagome!" shouted Miroku.

Turning in his saddle, he drew an arrow through his bow and fired it into one of the creature's eyes, stopping it in its tracks. A deafening cry of pain filled the air. The creature's body seemed to be transforming as the black appendages shifted to take new shape, creating a bulbous quivering mass.

"Run!" Miroku shouted to the girls.

"Hurry! Come on!" said Kagome as she and Eri hauled Yuka to her feet and made their escape.

Miroku stood before the creature, watching its movements as its body transformed. Sensing danger, he turned Kirara and rode away from the beast.

Suddenly, several limbs shot out from the boar's body, reaching for Miroku as he ran in a circle around it.

A limb latched on tightly to his right arm, searing his flesh through the fabric of his bracer. With a sharp tug, he pulled free of the appendage and drew up his bow. The wounded on his right arm bubbled as he fired an arrow into the boar's head, drawing another in case that was not enough to dispatch the beast. The animal screamed in pain, it's unnatural limbs falling to the ground and ceasing their pursuit.

Kirara stopped running at a safe distance away from the demon, giving Miroku a moment to examine his wound. The bracer around his arm was dissolving, leaving his skin red and inflamed. Although the wound was extremely painful, he merely gritted his teeth and raised his head to look at the monster he had defeated. The boar stood where it had been shot, breathing heavily. Its left eye seeping a black slime which killed the grass at its feet. It fell to the ground and lay on its side.

"He killed it!" shouted a village elder.

"Miroku!" cried Kagome, running toward her brother.

"Fetch Lady Kaede!" said the elder.

"Don't put out the fire yet!" said a man from the village.

Kirara walked forward to meet Kagome halfway, Miroku falling off into her waiting arms.

"Miroku, are you all right?"

"Don't touch it, Kagome." Said Miroku. "This is an evil wound."

Miroku grabbed a handful of soil, rubbing it onto his arm. He and Kagome continued covering the wound until Lady Kaede arrived.

"All of you, keep away from him!" said the old woman, "Stay back, I say!"

"What should we do?" asked Kagome frantically.

"Slowly pour this over his wound," said Lady Kaede, handing her a large jug.

Rushing back to her brother's side, Kagome uncorked the jug and poured the contents onto Miroku's arm. He winced, grunting in pain.

Kaede approached the beast, bowing low.

"O nameless god of rage and hate, I bow before you."

She bowed again.

"A mound shall be raised and burial rites performed on this ground where you have fallen. Go in peace and bear us no hatred."

"Disgusting creatures," said the boar in a menacing voice, "Soon all of you will feel my hate… and suffer… as I have suffered."

The boar's body disintegrated, leaving nothing but a giant skeleton lying in a pool of blood. The villagers were repulsed by the sight of it and shied away from the stench. Though the boar was dead, it's evil presence could still be felt by all present.

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The village elders, Lady Kaede, and Prince Miroku all gathered secretly that evening. The wise woman was to determine the next course of action for the prince by reading his fortune. Everyone sat inside a wooden fort, the wise woman and the prince in the middle of the room while the elders were seated at the right wall. Miroku sat cross-legged opposite Lady Kaede, his face stoic. His arms were extended with both hands resting on his knees, his right arm was bandaged.

Lady Kaede sat with her right leg folded under her left knee, scattering polished stones over a white mat with a red triangle in the middle. Leaves and an antler had also been placed among the stones.

"This is very bad indeed," she said when she had finished.

"The boar god carried some kind of poison inside him, driving him to madness. A hatred so poisonous that it manifested, consuming his heart and flesh and turning him into a demon. Prince Miroku?"

"Yes?"

"Show everyone your right arm."

The prince unwrapped his bandaged arm, holding it up for all to see. The wound had grown and produced large black and purple markings that wrapped around his entire forearm like a phantom hand. The elders gasped at the sight.

"What does it mean?" asked one of them

"My prince. Are you prepared to learn the fate foretold to you by these stones?

"Yes. I was prepared when I loosed my first arrow."

The wise woman nodded.

"The infection will spread through your entire body, destroying your bones and flesh. It shall cause you great pain, and then it will kill you."

Miroku lowered his head, but his expression did not change.

"Is there no way we can stop it?" asked the elder who spoke up earlier.

"The prince got that wound by defending our village and saving our lives!" said another

"Do we just sit here and watch him die?" asked a third.

"Your fate cannot be altered, but you can rise to meet it. If that is your desire." Kaede continued.

The old woman tossed a small metal ball onto the mat.

"This ball of iron was found in the boar's carcass. It shattered his bones and burned its way deep inside his body. This is what hurt him and turned him into a demon. There is evil working in the Western lands, my prince. It is your destiny to go there and see what you can with eyes unclouded by hate. You may find a way to lift your curse. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"We are the last of the Enishi." Said the oldest elder, "Five- hundred years have passed since the emperor destroyed our tribe and drove the remainder of our people to the East. Some have managed to survive here for all this time, but the blood of our people grows thinner with every generation. Now you're saying that our last prince must cut his hair and leave us, never to return? The gods must be laughing at us."

Miroku turned to an ornate bowl, unsheathing a knife in his hand. Raising the knife to the bun atop his head, he used one hand to hold his hair and the other to cut. The elders looked on sadly, one put his head in his hands. The prince placed the hair into the bowl and bowed low.

"Our laws forbid us from watching you leave, Miroku. "said Kaede as the former prince turned to face her once more. "Whatever happens now, you are dead to us. Forever."

Miroku bowed, stood up, and turned to leave.

"Farewell."

To his credit, Miroku showed no signs of grief. He did not crumple under the weight of his impending doom, but walked tall and steady as he left the fort. His face remained stoic, not looking back at his former kin. He left them for the last time.

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Once he had prepared all he would need for his journey, Miroku retrieved Kirara from the stable and coaxed her out into the open. When they were on their way, they were stopped by Kagome.

"What are you doing here, Kagome?" asked Miroku in a whisper, "You know it's forbidden!"

"I don't care about that. I came to give you this so you would never forget your little sister."

Miroku took a small arrowhead shaped object from Kagome's outstretched hands.

"Your crystal dagger. I can't take this, Kagome."

"Brother, promise you'll keep it with you to protect you! Take it with you, please, I want you to have it! So you won't… forget."

"You know I could never forget you, Kagome."

With those parting words, Miroku rode out of the village into the night as Kagome watched. He would never be seen there again.


	2. Chapter 2

For days Miroku rode with Kirara through the countryside, riding through grassy plains bordered by mountains blanketed in green that rose high into the sky. Some mountains towered so high their peaks disappeared among the clouds. The sky remained mostly clear with only some dark clouds appearing once in a while, but he had been fortunate to see no rain. He took in as much as he could, for he had never ventured so far from the village and may not have the chance to see such sights again before the curse took him. As they rode west, he wondered how much time he had left. How many more times would feel the wind blow through is hair? Ride with Kirara through the wilderness? Feel soft grass beneath his feet? He felt like an old man on his deathbed. Once, he was a young prince with a bright future ahead of him. Now, he was cursed and contemplating his own death. Even if he survived, he could never return to his people. What would he do then?

He tried not to think too much about his future and continued to follow the boar's trail.

Along his journey, he came upon a village filled with samurai warriors.

"A battle?" he wondered aloud.

Upon closer inspection, he saw that the warriors were attacking the villagers and not each other. Swords, spears, and guns were being turned on innocent civilians. Miroku watched as a samurai stabbed a man to death with a spear and immediately turn his weapon on another man as he tried to escape, cutting open the sack on his back and spilling its contents on the ground as he attacked him.

"No, this is a massacre."

Miroku watched as a samurai stabbed a man repeatedly with his spear where he had tripped and fallen as he tried to get away. As much as the violence turned his stomach, Miroku did not interfere. He knew that if he did he would most certainly contribute more casualties to the mounting death toll.

"Look up there!" shouted a warrior. "On that hill!"

"It's a warrior!" said another.

A crowd of samurai were quickly gathering at the base of the hill, training arrows and spears at Miroku.

"His head is mine!" shouted a third.

After dodging several arrows, Miroku rode away from the crowd. He saw a samurai knock a woman to the ground and raise his spear above her, ready to plunge into her belly.

"You, stop!" Miroku shouted, drawing an arrow through his bow. His cursed arm began to twitch violently as he approached the warrior, causing a painful spasm as he fired his arrow.

The samurai ignored the order and was about to strike his victim when his arms were shot off at the elbows by Miroku's arrow, giving her time to make her escape.

"My arm! What's happening to me?" Said Miroku to himself as he winced in pain, clutching his arm.

"Stop him! Don't let him get away!" Someone shouted.

A samurai had begun to pursue him on horseback on the road across the rice paddies, an arrow aimed at his head.

"Let me pass!" commanded Miroku, "I'm warning you!"

The samurai did not obey. He fired his arrow at Miroku and missed. Miroku fired back, severing the warrior's head from his shoulders.

A samurai captain rode up the slope to see the warrior who had killed two of his men getting away unscathed. The horse carrying the body of the decapitated samurai approached the captain, it's rider sliding off the saddle and falling to the ground.

"A demon," muttered the captain.

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When he was safe at last in the cover of trees, Miroku spotted a spring and stopped to rest. Dismounting Kirara and removing his mask and cape, he knelt by the spring to wash his cursed arm. The cool water did little to abate the pain.

Miroku withdrew his arm from the running water and his face fell at the sight.

"The mark is getting bigger."

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In the next village over, news of the attack on the neighboring village was on everyone's mind. There was talk of a warrior riding a flaming nekomata who dispatched two men and left the other samurai running away in fear. One man was especially interested in this mysterious warrior, pondering him as he ate his meal.

"Is this soup or donkey piss?" said Naraku, grimacing and scrutinizing the offending stew.

Some commotion was coming from the villagers as the masked man rode through the street on a nekomata as the people had been yammering about. Naraku was eager to introduce himself.

"There he is now," he murmured as he hastily finished his soup and left the food stall where he'd been eating.

The masked man was buying rice at one of the stalls in the market place when Naraku found him. A whole crowd had gathered around the masked stranger and watched the transaction with visible curiosity.

"Will this be enough?" asked Miroku as he handed his payment to the woman who had filled his bag of rice.

"Hey, what is this?" she asked angrily after inspecting the small stone she'd been given. "What are you trying to pull? This isn't money. Give me back my rice, you thief!"

"Excuse me, but might I inspect that?" asked Naraku as he approached them.

"Go ahead." The woman handed him the stone.

Naraku held it up for closer inspection, then jerked back in shock.

"My God! This is a lump of pure gold, you silly woman!"

There were surprised murmurs from the crowd. Miroku stood watching in silence.

"If it's money you want, I'll pay for the rice and take this nugget off your hands. What do you say?"

Naraku turned to the crowd.

"My good people," he called, "is there a money changer who can tell us how much this is worth? No? Alright. Now, I'm just a monk, but I would say this worth three bags of rice at least."

More shocked murmurs rose from the crowd.

"That's right. Maybe even more!"

Miroku left the stall, leaving his rice and his gold.

"Hey, where are you going?" Naraku called after him.

"Where are _you_ going?" the woman repeated, snatching his hand back. "Give me my gold!"

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"Hey, what's your hurry?" asked Naraku as he ran to catch up with Miroku. "You can't just rush off now. We've only just met!"

Miroku continued riding without a word, but he kept a leisurely pace alongside Naraku.

"Well, you've got your rice and everything is fine. You're a man of few words, I understand. Don't even think about thanking me. It was my pleasure. In fact, I should be thanking you. You see, I caught you in that battle. I saw what you did to those samurai. You fight like a demon. Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

As he listened, Miroku had seen from the corner of his eye that they were not alone. He turned his head slightly and noticed two armed men and a woman followed behind them at a distance.

"I see you've noticed we're being followed," said Naraku in a low voice, "That's what we get for waving around that gold nugget. They'll wait until we're asleep and then slit our throats. Why don't we give them a demonstration of how fast we can run, huh?"

Naraku broke into a run and Miroku followed suit. They soon left their bewildered pursuers in the dust as they ran off into the sunset.

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The two men were sat by a fire in the forest outside of the village. Seated on stones, Naraku stirred a steaming pot of stew as Miroku recounted what had happened to him.

"So, the monster turned out to be a giant boar?" Naraku asked.

"I followed it's trail westward through the mountains to that village where the samurai were attacking, but-"

"You lost it. That's life. You see that place over there?" Naraku pointed his chopsticks at the scattered stone slabs and shrines some feet away from their camp.

"When I last came here, this was lovely little village. Then there must have been a flood, or landslide, or a fire. The only sure thing is that everyone is dead."

He took the lid off his basket and retrieved a package of spice to put in their stew.

"These days," he said as he scooped the spice into the stew with his ladle, "there are angry ghosts all around us. Dead from wars, sickness, starvation, and no one cares. You say you're under a curse? So, what? So's the whole damn world."

After stirring the stew, he lifted the ladle to taste it and found it satisfactory.

"I was wrong to fight in that village. Two men are dead because of me."

"They were samurai thugs. You win some, you lose some."

Naraku reached out his hand to his companion. "Hand me your bowl."

Miroku handed him a polished red bowl.

"My point is everyone dies, boy. Some now, some later. From brothel girl to emperor."

He inspected the bowl before he ladled out the stew.

"I've heard them say that the emperor will offer an entire hill of gold to anyone who can help him live forever."

He handed the bowl back to Miroku.

"Beautiful bowl. I've seen one other like it."

Naraku filled his bowl.

"Have you ever heard of the Emishi people? They're said to ride red elks. They use stone arrowheads, just like you do."

Miroku said nothing, ignoring the question and eating his stew in silence.

Naraku took his silence for an affirmative answer and ate a few bites of his stew.

"Don't worry," he assured his friend, "I won't tell anyone where you're from. I've got much bigger fish to fry."

Miroku stopped eating and reached into the pouch hanging from his side, presenting a metal ball about the size of his palm.

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" he asked.

Naraku used his chopsticks to take the ball from Miroku for a better look.

After a moment, he looked back at his companion. "Never have."

"It came from the giant boar. It was found inside him and I'm sure it's that little ball of iron that killed him."

Naraku handed the iron ball back to Miroku and continued eating his stew.

After swallowing another mouthful, he spoke again.

"There is a place high in the mountains far to the west of here. It's where the Spirit of the Forest dwells and it is a very dangerous place for humans. To enter there is certain death."

"The Spirit of the Forest?" echoed Miroku.

Naraku nodded. "They say the beasts there are all giants just as they were at the beginning of time."

Leaving Miroku to ponder his words, Naraku ladled himself another serving of stew. They both continued their meal in silence.

Early the next morning, Miroku set off with Kirara to find the Spirit of the Forest. He bowed once before he left the sleeping Naraku and headed West.

Naraku opened his eyes sleepily as he heard the soft padding of the nekomata's feet against the earth.

"See you there, my friend." He whispered, and drifted back to sleep.

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The rain poured that night. The sky was dark and the rain was so thick it was hard to see. The men of Iron Town were trying their best to move their oxen carefully along the narrow path through the mountains without making them panic. They carried the rice that would feed them and their families. They had to move as quickly as possible, for they were being hunted.

An elaborately dressed woman and a soldier stood above the men, directing them.

"The sooner we get home, the sooner we eat!" said Kikyo, Mistress of Iron Town, to her men. "Let's move!"

Two men carrying weapons broke away from the line and approached their leader.

"Wolves! Coming this way!" they said frantically.

Kikyo and the soldier at her side, InuYasha, looked to their right to see two giant wolves approaching from the mountain top. A masked figure rode atop one of the beasts.

"Don't let the oxen panic!" shouted Kikyo to her men, "Keep calm and take up your positions!"

The men not driving the oxen knelt on the wet ground and took up arms, kneeling under umbrellas and removing the seals from their canons.

"Keep your powder dry!" ordered InuYasha, "Make sure you wait for them to come within range."

The men waited with their weapons ready to attack the wolves.

Kikyo gave the order.

"Ready! Fire!"

The men fired one canon ball after the other, but the wolves and the masked rider dodged them effortlessly. They headed back in the direction they came and came back around to approach the men again.

"Second round! Fire" Kikyo commanded.

Again, the wolves dodged, but the masked rider directed them to split up and run in opposite directions up the mountain. During both encounters, none of them had attempted to attack the men directly.

"That was it?" asked InuYasha, smugly. "They weren't so big."

"They're just pups. Wait until you see their mother."

From up ahead of the line, a giant wolf with two tails came running down the mountain towards the unsuspecting men.

"It's Moro!" shouted Kikyo, unsealing her canon and preparing to fire.

Moro leapt down on top of an ox, breaking its neck between her jaws. She barreled through the men and oxen, knocking several over the cliff as she went. Some men fired their canons, but missed their target due to poor aim and intense fear.

"Come on," said Kikyo, her canon ready to fire.

As Moro got closer, Kikyo shot a cannon ball into the wolf's chest. The wolf did not stop until InuYasha used his canon to set her ablaze, forcing her over the cliff. InuYasha laughed as she fell.

"We killed her!" he said triumphantly.

"You forget she is a god," said Kikyo. "It will take more than that."

InuYasha surveyed the wounded on the mountain path. "She certainly did some damage."

"Let's move on."

"What about the men she pushed over the cliff?"

"They're dead. Let's get the living home."


	3. Chapter 3

Miroku came to a stop by a river at the base of the mountain. He was concerned about the canon fire he'd heard the night before. Was it another attack by samurai? Turning their weapons on their enemies? Or innocent bystanders? The thought of more bloodshed disgusted him. He had had enough of senseless violence for a lifetime. He had no desire to be caught in the middle of any more battles,but the curse he was under seemed to have other plans. Whenever he raised his weapon, it seemed to compel him to kill. He had only killed out of defence on his journey thus far, but would he be able to control himself as the curse spread? Miroku shoved the thought from his mind. That would not happen.

As he surveyed the area, he saw the body of a dead ox and a man drifting downstream. He found a man lying on the riverbank, presumably dead. He wore an orange yukata. Miroku held his hand over the man's mouth. A thin rush of warm air hit his palm.

"He's still breathing," he said to himself, gently lifting the unconscious man to carry him to higher ground.

Miroku went back to the river, walking along some rocks uncovered by the water to search for more survivors. He found another man unconscious beneath a large boulder, wearing a purple yukata with a badly broken arm and leg.

Coming to place the man beside the other onshore, Miroku noticed Kirara had seen something across the water. He moved to stand behind a fallen tree to conceal himself and observe what the nekomata saw.

A mass of white fur lay by the water's edge on the other side of the river, the fur rising and falling with each breath it took. Before long, two sizeable white wolves walked up the bank to meet the creature. The white creature raised its head as they approached, apparently another wolf of the same species as the newcomers.A large bleeding wound was on the wolf's chest A young woman dressed in furs rode on one of the that the bigger wolf was wounded, she dismounted and made her way over to it. The injured wolf rose on all fours to meet saw that it had two tails and red eyes. To Miroku's surprise, she began to suck the blood from the wound and spit it out.

The wolf growled and bared it's teeth, turning it's head to stare in the direction where Miroku was hiding. Seeing the wolf's agitation, the woman turned her head sharply and met eyes with Miroku. Her eyes went wide.

So,too, did Miroku's. He did not look at her the way a predator would look at it's prey, nor as a warrior would stare down an adversary they intended to kill, nor as a man gazing at the object of his lust. His eyes, the only features uncovered by his mask, were alight with curiosity and wonder.

The woman spat out more blood and wiped her mouth with her forearm, smearing red across her face.

Removing his mask, he ran from his hiding place to the top of the large boulder and addressed the party across the river.

"My name is Miroku," he announced to them. "I have traveled far from lands to the East. Are you ancient gods and have I come at last to the realm of the Spirit of the Forest?"

They had heard what he'd said, but gave no answer. The fur-clad woman narrowed her eyes at him. The two-tailed wolf smiled smugly, as if it knew something Miroku did not, and turned to walk back up the riverbank. The other wolves followed it, the woman in furs hopping on one of their backs.

"Go away!" she snapped at Miroku as she rode away. The last wolf gave him one last look before dragging the carcass of the ox away to join its pack.

Miroku was about to call after them when he heard a scream coming from his side of the river.

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"HEEEEEEEELP!" screamed the purple-clad man as he struggled to move with his unbroken limbs.

Miroku ran over to see what had frightened him, but immediately relaxed when he saw a small ghostly creature sitting on a moss-covered stone a few feet away. He knew exactly what it was.

"A kodama," he said, intrigued. "I never thought I would see one of those here."

Miroku knelt beside the terrified man.

"Easy now." The man whipped his head back when he heard Miroku's voice. "You don't want to make your injuries worse, do you?"

The kodama tilted its head to the right, the motion causing a rattling sound.

"It's a tree spirit. It's a sign this forest is healthy."

"But he'll lead his lord and master right to us!" said the man, panicked.

"Who do you mean? You mean those wolves I just saw?"

"No, it's a real monster! Some huge, enormous deer. They say sometimes it has a human face and sometimes at night they say it-AAAAAAAH! WHERE'D IT GO?"

They both looked around until they spotted another kodama sitting on Kirara's back. Two more materialized from the trees behind her.

"AAAAAAH!" screamed the injured man. "Look! Reinforcements! We're doomed"

"If Kirara's not afraid, then we shouldn't worry." Miroku reassured him.

He approached the seated kodama.

"Would you be kind enough to grant us passage through your forest, little one?" asked Miroku.

The kodama shyly ducked its head and and turned away, vanishing into thin air. Miroku smiled.

"Oh no," his companion groaned.

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Miroku's party made their way through the forest, the conscious man riding on Kirara's back and Miroku carrying their unconscious companion on his back and following a little kodama along the forest trail. Kodoma of every shape chattered around them as they watched from the trees or followed the men on foot. Trees of all shapes and sizes surrounded them on every side. Exotic plants and flowers bloomed along the moss-covered ground that Miroku had never seen before, intoxicating scents filling the air.

Kirara's charge was not enjoying the scenery.

"Sir," he said timidly, "I really think we ought to turn around now. Did I mention that no human has ever made it out of these woods alive? There's a lovely trail across the river."

"The current is much too fast for us to get across," Miroku replied. "Your friend's injuries are very bad. If we don't get him home soon, he has no chance."

The kodama Miroku was following ran ahead of them, turning its head from time to time to see if they were still behind it.

"Hey, little fellow, are you showing us the way? Or just getting us more lost?"

The kodama continued its pace in response, stepping over thick tree roots with ease while Miroku was working hard to keep up.

He stopped by a huge tree root and put his arm out for support, his forehead beaded with sweat.

"Please, sir. I really don't think they're trying to help us get home. Oh,God, there's thousands of them."

When Miroku lifted his head, he saw that the kodama were imitating him by carrying their fellow kodama on their backs. They smiled gleefully at him, and he couldn't help but return the gesture. He hoisted the injured man higher on his back and continued walking.

Soon the party was led to an enormous tree, it's leaves a wide canopy over all the kodama who inhabited it.

"Ah, that must be their mother," said Miroku. "A fine old tree."

Miroku stepped between some smaller trees into a clearing, bringing he and his charges to the shore of a great stretched for miles dotted with green islands and stones, thick white trees towering so high their branches could scarcely be seen. It was like an oasis had appeared in the middle of the forest.

"Ah, this place is magical." breathed Miroku, awestruck.

He walked to the water's edge and stopped when he noticed tracks on the mossy ground. Human footprints and large pawprints indented the earth.

"The tracks of those wolves and the girl with them. This must be where the four of them live."

"Sir, I think we may have made a wrong turn somewhere?" said the man riding Kirara. "This is a place for gods and demons."

"I think we're safe," Miroku reassured, gently placing his injured passenger on the ground and removing his mask. "We'll rest a while."

Taking his red bowl from his coat, he knelt on one knee and dipped it into the water.

When he was satisfied with the state of the water, he stood up about to return to the unconscious man when an unusual footprint caught his eye. The print showed three pointed toes, was if the animal that made them had webbed feet. A gathering of blue butterflies hovered around it on a mossy rock.

"More tracks?" inquired Miroku aloud, looking around to find a matching footprint visible on the lake floor.

"Whatever made these made them recently."

He scanned the surface of the water, seeing nothing out of the ordinary until he saw a group of deer through an opening in the tree line to his right. A bright golden glow lit up the area. His eyes glimpsed a huge deer-like creature with several long horns, locking eyes with it as it became aware of his presence.

For a moment, all was still, until Miroku's cursed arm began to ripple and throb uncontrollably.

He gripped his arm tightly to slow the convulsions, clenching his teeth to prevent himself from screaming in pain.

"Sir, what's going on? Are you alright?" called his companion worriedly.

In an effort to ease the painful spasms, Miroku thrust his arm into the water. After what seemed like an eternity to him, the convulsions ceased and the pain was gone.

Miroku exhaled heavily, unclenching his vice grip on the mossy ground and slowly rising with the bowl of water for his injured friend.

"Sir, what just happened? You went white as a sheet all of a sudden. I warned you about this place."

Miroku bent to lift the injured man's head, bringing the bowl to his lips.

"Here," he said soothingly. "Did you see anything just now?" he asked the rider.

"Like what?"

"Forget it." Miroku took the bowl.

"Just a little longer," he whispered to the wounded man. "You're almost home."

"I failed her," he said, losing consciousness again.

Miroku looked out over the water once more, trying to see the strange creature.

"It's gone, whatever it was."

The men continued their journey through the forest, Miroku noticing something odd.

 _That's strange,_ he thought to himself as he carried the unconscious man. _Suddenly he doesn't feel heavy at all._

"My arm, it doesn't hurt!" said the rider, enthusiastically stretching his bandaged arm. "IT'S HEALED!"

He groaned in pain after his arm bent awkwardly and gave an unwelcome crack. "Nope, it's still broken."

* * *

 **A/N: The man known as Kuroku will be Koga in this AU. His name was not included in this chapter because no one was properly introduced in the story at this point.**

 **I'm sorry this chapter was kinda short and anticlimactic. The action will come next chapter.**


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